Energy Security

• growing population
• finite fossil fuel reserves, oil & gas will only last at the current level for 45-60 yrs
• demand for energy e.g. development
• still have  coal but reducing the ise as its heavily polluting
• sources are unevenly distributed with a lot of it in places of political stability e.g. Middle East

Fossil fuels

• coal - releases CO2 & SO2 when burnt
• oil & natural gas - CO2 released when burnt

Nuclear power

• creates radioactive waste  & possible leaks, no GHG emissions

Biomass

• CO2 when burnt

Renewables

• No GHG emissions

• availability of modern technology & infrastructure
• affordability e.g. biomass such as animal dung may remain dominant in poor rural areas
• distribution of energy resources (physical factors)
• cultural preferences & public perceptions in different locations
• climate and seasonal variations

• geology (mainly non-renewables, except impermeable rock needed to support surface water for HEP)
• climate
• soils
• tectonics
• waver power

• surface coal mining damages the environment
• mountain top removal damages ecosystems
• smoke & smog from subsurface mining can lead to respiratory illnesses
• produce large waste of ash clouds
• water intensive production
• the growth of this energy source is meant to double using a lot of resources e.g. water
• EXAMPLE: Mongolia, production has reduced the water table & lake by 62%

• piping used for extraction is made of metal which can corode into the water contaminating it
• waste pits used for extraction are left unlined & can lead to contamination of land
• flames from burning can lead to poor air quality
• oil spills affect water & marine life
• oil spills are decreasing
• EXAMPLE: BP oil spills, 200mn gallons of crude oil pumped into the Gulf of Mexico, coastlines were affected, 8000 amimals died

• turbines require little water however need more for the cooling process
• plants remove water from lakes so marine animals may die or be affected
• pollutants & heat build up in the water
• extraction can destroy natural habitats

• dams block the migration of animals
• can create sediment build up which can be needed down stream to help those habitats
• have to flood floodplains
• EXAMPLE: China, a dam broke due to high pressure killing 200,000 people

• turbine is made up of steel & a rare resource which has to be mined (rare earths)
• deforestation may take place to install the turbine
• turbines can kill birds and bats
• offshore turbines can affect marine life by increasing the population as the act as an artificial reef
• lead to warming at night & cooling during the day
• EXAMPLE: North America

• deforestation for wood
• reduced carbon sequestation capacity
• a lot of water is wasted, similar amount to the local production
• nitrogen oxide is released creating smog & respiratory diseases (impact from use)

• large projects can lead to high demand of land potentially deforestation & habitat loss
• production of solar pannels need a lot of water for the cooling process
• solar pannel cells include hazardous materials
• no carbon emissions
• silicon requires a lot of energy for manufacturing

• energy is mainly for heating & lighting
• there are roughly 5mn rural households who are not connected to the mains gas network
• most of these rely on liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for heating and cooling
• many of these people have lower incomes or are pensioners/ elderly who cannot afford it

• becoming one of the largest energy consumers
• only a ssmall percentage have access to clean, effieient energy systems
• 70% of the population live in rural areas where most of them burn hand-gathered solid fuels e.g. wood and dung for cooking
• this is due to lack of jobs and the small incomes the jobs provide
• lack of infrastructure

• more people buying cars which require energy to run & produce
• energy needed for industries
• rural - urban migration
• dont have enough for domestic needs so have to import oil
• new nucleatr power stations are being built to keep up with deman (require energy to run them)
• due to Chinas economic growth, it requires more energy supplies to sustain it